A Place of Their Own

Family of Man With Cancer Celebrates Own Apartment

James and Jammie Meeks sit on the dock at Lake Fannie in Winter Haven with their daughters, Miranda Scott, 14, and Kortney Meeks, 6, on Tuesday. James and his younger daughter, Kortney, like to spend time together fishing at Lake Fannie, which is near their new apartment.

The girl couldn't be happier, however, because it's the first time in years the girl has had cereal in her own home.

For most of her life, her father, James Meeks, 45, has suffered from renal cell carcinoma, forcing the family of four to jump between motel rooms and relatives' homes.

But now, thanks to funds made available by Newspaper with a Heart, Kortney and her family moved into their own three-bedroom apartment in Winter Haven. NWAH paid the deposits and first two months of rent for the family, which also includes Meeks' wife, Jammie, 34, and his step-daughter, Miranda, 14.

"From what he gets in Social Security (disability), it's hard to try and move in a place and get deposits and everything," Jammie Meeks said. "It was just impossible (without the help)."

Now, all the family needs is some furniture.

The Ledger is profiling people whose lives have been helped through Newspaper with a Heart. These stories are about just a few of the people who receive assistance.

James Meeks was first diagnosed in January 2008 with stage four cancer that started in his kidney and spread to his bladder and lymph nodes. That was a couple of months after doctors first told him the blood in his urine was from kidney stones.

He had surgery the next month to remove his kidney, but the cancer already had spread.

His prognosis was bad, but Meeks says he never let doctors give him an expiration date.

"I was born with no date on my forehead," Meeks said. "They ain't telling me when to die."

In fact, Meeks proudly boasts of his resilience despite chemotherapy treatments and being in and out of the hospital since the diagnosis.

Meeks' bills were covered by Medicaid, but the treatments often kept him from his work as a truck driver and picking up odd jobs.

Sometimes the family could find a home of its own to live in, but it never stayed long, putting stress on Miranda to make new friends after every move. She's sad to have moved once again, but is happy it should be the last move for a while.

"I don't like having to move far away and not know anybody, but I guess I'll make friends," Miranda said.

She will start at Lake Alfred Middle after the holiday.

Jammie Meeks' mother, Jeanette Shipley, 59, of Lakeland, said the new apartment is a new hope for the family.

The Meeks had been living with Shipley until they signed the lease for their new apartment Monday.

Jammie Meeks is looking for a job in Winter Haven. She had a job prospect in Lakeland but the family's only car, a ‘91 Chevy that's lucky to get 10 miles per gallon, makes the trip too expensive. She said she's hoping to find something soon.

But even if it comes down to it, the rent payment at the house is affordable enough to be paid with Meeks' Social Security benefits.

"If something happens, we can just maintain," Jammie Meeks said. "It's something we can afford."

Something Miranda and Kortney can call home for a while.

[ Ryan Little can be reached at ryan.little@theledger.com or 863-401-6962. ]

<p>WINTER HAVEN | Sitting on beige carpet, alone in an empty dining room, 6-year-old Kortney Meeks ate a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch on top of an overturned lime-green tin bucket.</p><p>The girl couldn't be happier, however, because it's the first time in years the girl has had cereal in her own home.</p><p>For most of her life, her father, James Meeks, 45, has suffered from renal cell carcinoma, forcing the family of four to jump between motel rooms and relatives' homes.</p><p>But now, thanks to funds made available by Newspaper with a Heart, Kortney and her family moved into their own three-bedroom apartment in Winter Haven. NWAH paid the deposits and first two months of rent for the family, which also includes Meeks' wife, Jammie, 34, and his step-daughter, Miranda, 14.</p><p>"From what he gets in Social Security (disability), it's hard to try and move in a place and get deposits and everything," Jammie Meeks said. "It was just impossible (without the help)."</p><p>Now, all the family needs is some furniture.</p><p>The Ledger is profiling people whose lives have been helped through Newspaper with a Heart. These stories are about just a few of the people who receive assistance.</p><p>James Meeks was first diagnosed in January 2008 with stage four cancer that started in his kidney and spread to his bladder and lymph nodes. That was a couple of months after doctors first told him the blood in his urine was from kidney stones.</p><p>He had surgery the next month to remove his kidney, but the cancer already had spread.</p><p>His prognosis was bad, but Meeks says he never let doctors give him an expiration date.</p><p>"I was born with no date on my forehead," Meeks said. "They ain't telling me when to die."</p><p>In fact, Meeks proudly boasts of his resilience despite chemotherapy treatments and being in and out of the hospital since the diagnosis.</p><p>Meeks' bills were covered by Medicaid, but the treatments often kept him from his work as a truck driver and picking up odd jobs.</p><p>Sometimes the family could find a home of its own to live in, but it never stayed long, putting stress on Miranda to make new friends after every move. She's sad to have moved once again, but is happy it should be the last move for a while.</p><p>"I don't like having to move far away and not know anybody, but I guess I'll make friends," Miranda said.</p><p>She will start at Lake Alfred Middle after the holiday.</p><p>Jammie Meeks' mother, Jeanette Shipley, 59, of Lakeland, said the new apartment is a new hope for the family.</p><p>"I think it's a big deal, especially now they can afford it," Shipley said. "A place, three-bedroom like that, they need it, that's for sure."</p><p>The Meeks had been living with Shipley until they signed the lease for their new apartment Monday.</p><p>Jammie Meeks is looking for a job in Winter Haven. She had a job prospect in Lakeland but the family's only car, a '91 Chevy that's lucky to get 10 miles per gallon, makes the trip too expensive. She said she's hoping to find something soon.</p><p>But even if it comes down to it, the rent payment at the house is affordable enough to be paid with Meeks' Social Security benefits.</p><p>"If something happens, we can just maintain," Jammie Meeks said. "It's something we can afford."</p><p>Something Miranda and Kortney can call home for a while.</p><p> </p><p>[ Ryan Little can be reached at ryan.little@theledger.com or 863-401-6962. ]</p>